Saturday, August 12, 2006
Late Night Snack at Home
Low Carb Quesodillas
Low carb tortillas pan fried with cheese. Simple and tasty.
Dinner at Home
Tom Kha Gai
This was Alexis' first attempt at this classic Thai soup, and it was quite good.
-1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded
-10 cherry tomatos, halved
-1 turnip, peeled and diced
-5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
-1 can coconut milk
-2 or 3 cans chicken broth
-1 tb vinager
-3 tb fish sauce
-2 tb rooster sauce
-1 inch nub of ginger, julienned
-30 leaves basil
-cilantro to garnish
Sautee the garlic and ginger in a bit of olive oil. Add the turnips and sautee till gently carmelized. Add the liquids and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and add all other ingredients. Simmer for a few minutes and serve when all ingredients are heated through.
-10 cherry tomatos, halved
-1 turnip, peeled and diced
-5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
-1 can coconut milk
-2 or 3 cans chicken broth
-1 tb vinager
-3 tb fish sauce
-2 tb rooster sauce
-1 inch nub of ginger, julienned
-30 leaves basil
-cilantro to garnish
Sautee the garlic and ginger in a bit of olive oil. Add the turnips and sautee till gently carmelized. Add the liquids and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and add all other ingredients. Simmer for a few minutes and serve when all ingredients are heated through.
See Us Make a Chupaqueso
Mid Afternoon Snack at Zesty Vietnamese Restaurant, San Francisco, CA
We decided to try out the new Vietnamese restaurant that opened across the street from our apartment. It used to be a Japanese place that was never open, and then one day it re-emerged as a Vietnamese place (with a very limited menu). This place gets the award for least amount of work done to open a restaurant. They kept the name "Zesty", they kept the decor, all they did was add "Vietnamese" to the signage. We were the only people in the fairly large restaurant and we beleive it must be a front for something...
BBQ Pork $6
Quite good, actually. Flavorful and very moist.
Shrimp Salad $5
Nothing to it really. Just some sub par shrimp, cut in half on some lettuce. The ingredients were very fresh.
BBQ Pork $6
Quite good, actually. Flavorful and very moist.
Shrimp Salad $5
Nothing to it really. Just some sub par shrimp, cut in half on some lettuce. The ingredients were very fresh.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1
Can't Find Website
Can't Find Health Code Violations
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1
Can't Find Website
Can't Find Health Code Violations
Labels: Decor: 0, Food: 1, restaurant, Service: 1, Vietnamese
Breakfast at Home
Breakfast Tostada
Spinach and bacon scramble on a low carb tortilla, sprinkled with cheese.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Dinner at Marcello's Pizza, San Francisco, CA
We grabbed a quick, crappy meal prior to seeing Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odessy...
Jalapeno Poppers $6
Not very spicy and filled with cheddar instead of cream cheese. Not great, but passable.
Jalapeno Poppers $6
Not very spicy and filled with cheddar instead of cream cheese. Not great, but passable.
Lunch from Mehfil Indian Cuisine, San Francisco, CA
Breakfast at Home
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Dinner at Maverick, San Francisco, CA
Maverick, hailed as the "best new restaurant in SF" by San Francisco Magazine, turned out to be more hit or miss than we had expected. It was good, but definately not the best new restaurant (which, in our opinion, would be Range) and probably not even in the top 5. It was small, and friendly, and it had a nice bathroom, but overall, it wasn't an incredible food experience. The whole meal, including 2 flights of wine (very good) was about $100 before tip.
Clams Casino $10
A bit too fishy and tough, but the idea was nice.
Freid Green Tomatos with Goat Cheese $8
Alexis thought these were great and Giao thought they were just ok. The tangy goat cheese and salty frisee salad were a great modern renovation on this very country dish. Alexis Grandparents used to make these for her (sans goat cheese and frisee), and either her palate was not yet mature, or this version was just more sophisticated.
Baby Back Ribs $10
The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender, but not super flavorful. The sauce was very ketchupy, yet oddly good.
Crab "Fluffs" $12
These were way too fishy and almost gooey, although they did contain a high proportion of crab. All in all, Maverick did not deliver on the seafood end of things.
Mac n' Cheese $5
We broke the low carb diet for this very good mac n' cheese. The top was bubbly, the cheese sauce was sharp and the macaroni cooked al dente. It was very, very good.
Clams Casino $10
A bit too fishy and tough, but the idea was nice.
Freid Green Tomatos with Goat Cheese $8
Alexis thought these were great and Giao thought they were just ok. The tangy goat cheese and salty frisee salad were a great modern renovation on this very country dish. Alexis Grandparents used to make these for her (sans goat cheese and frisee), and either her palate was not yet mature, or this version was just more sophisticated.
Baby Back Ribs $10
The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender, but not super flavorful. The sauce was very ketchupy, yet oddly good.
Fried Chicken $19
Usually this is served with mashed potatos, but we asked for veggies instead. The lemony collard greens were actually one of the highlights of the whole meal, while the chicken was a bit too greasy, yet nicely crisp.
Usually this is served with mashed potatos, but we asked for veggies instead. The lemony collard greens were actually one of the highlights of the whole meal, while the chicken was a bit too greasy, yet nicely crisp.
Crab "Fluffs" $12
These were way too fishy and almost gooey, although they did contain a high proportion of crab. All in all, Maverick did not deliver on the seafood end of things.
Mac n' Cheese $5
We broke the low carb diet for this very good mac n' cheese. The top was bubbly, the cheese sauce was sharp and the macaroni cooked al dente. It was very, very good.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 1 (simple, yet warm and inviting)
Service: 2 (attentive bus boys and willingness to accomodate our dislike of potatos was a plus)
Website
Health Code Violations
Food: 1
Decor: 1 (simple, yet warm and inviting)
Service: 2 (attentive bus boys and willingness to accomodate our dislike of potatos was a plus)
Website
Health Code Violations
Lunch at Gaylord India Restaurant, San Francisco, CA
We went out to lunch with a bunch of coworkers today at Gaylord's, an Indian place in Enbarcadero Center. It isn't nearly as good as Tandoori Mahal, the Indian place next to our old office, but it'll do in a pinch and it close to our new office.
Saag Paneer
Decent.
Buffet
Tandoori Chicken (not very flavorful), Caulifour and Peas (very tasty), Chicken Masala (ok).
Chicken Mahkni
A bit chunky and not as creamy as it should be.
Saag Paneer
Decent.
Buffet
Tandoori Chicken (not very flavorful), Caulifour and Peas (very tasty), Chicken Masala (ok).
Chicken Mahkni
A bit chunky and not as creamy as it should be.
Breakfast at Home
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Dinner at Home
We had some leftover rotisserie chicken, so we sauteed it with some onions and taco seasoning and made a great taco salad out of it. Usually we use spinach, but this time we had a lot of mixed greens so we used that instead and it was very refreshing.
Lunch at Work
Breakfast at Home
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Dinner at Home
Thai Green Curry with Fish and Vegetables
This was very spicy, so next time I might omit the chiles, but it was very tasty.
-3 filets mahi-mahi, cubed
-1 can coconut milk
-1 can chicken broth
-1 chiles, seeds removed and sliced
-1 japanese eggplant, cut on the bias in bite sized cubes
-1 turnip, peeled and cut in bite size chunks
-8 large cremini mushrooms, quartered
-40 leaves fresh basil
-1 large onion, thinly sliced
-10 cloves garlic, minced
-2 tb green curry paste
Sautee the onions and garlic over medium heat until slightly carmelized. Add the coconut milk, broth and curry paste and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the paste. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the vegetables. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or so. Add the fish and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens. Serve.
-1 can coconut milk
-1 can chicken broth
-1 chiles, seeds removed and sliced
-1 japanese eggplant, cut on the bias in bite sized cubes
-1 turnip, peeled and cut in bite size chunks
-8 large cremini mushrooms, quartered
-40 leaves fresh basil
-1 large onion, thinly sliced
-10 cloves garlic, minced
-2 tb green curry paste
Sautee the onions and garlic over medium heat until slightly carmelized. Add the coconut milk, broth and curry paste and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the paste. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the vegetables. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or so. Add the fish and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens. Serve.
Lunch from Bandy Ho's, San Francisco, CA
Brandy Ho's is a catered in lunch that we actually look forward to, namely for the whole fish...
Hunanese Style Whole Fish
This is a white fleshed fish, deep fried and served with a ginger scallion sauce. I like Brandy Ho's steamed trout better, as it is a bit more tender and subtle, but this is a good stand in since they don't always have the steamed fish.
Hot and Sour Soup
Not too gelatinous, and nice and spicy.
Hunanese Style Whole Fish
This is a white fleshed fish, deep fried and served with a ginger scallion sauce. I like Brandy Ho's steamed trout better, as it is a bit more tender and subtle, but this is a good stand in since they don't always have the steamed fish.
Hot and Sour Soup
Not too gelatinous, and nice and spicy.
Breakfast at Home
Monday, August 07, 2006
Dinner at Home
We bought a duck at Costco a little while ago, but we hadn't had the opportunity to make it yet, so Alexis decided that a Monday night after work was the perfect time to make an all-duck dinner. Needless to say, we had dinner pretty late.
Roast Duck
This (5lb) duck was brushed with a mixture of dark soy and hoisin sauce and baked on 450 for 15 minutes (to create a nice, crisp skin). Then lower the heat to 350 and bake for another hour, covered. It is done when the internal temperature of the breast and leg are 165, or the juices are light rose in color, but not bloody.
Roast Duck Salad
This was a refreshing salad, served warm.
Roast Duck Noodle Soup
A simple, clear broth and freshly roasted duck. Yum.
Roast Duck
This (5lb) duck was brushed with a mixture of dark soy and hoisin sauce and baked on 450 for 15 minutes (to create a nice, crisp skin). Then lower the heat to 350 and bake for another hour, covered. It is done when the internal temperature of the breast and leg are 165, or the juices are light rose in color, but not bloody.
Roast Duck Salad
This was a refreshing salad, served warm.
-1/2 roast duck, chopped
-1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
-1 handful mint, cut in chiffonade
-1 handful cilantro, chopped
-juice of 1 lime
-2 tb fish sauce
-3 scallions, chopped
-a few handfuls lettuce
Place the lettuce on a plate. Toss the rest of the ingredients together and place in a mound on top of the lettuce.
-1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
-1 handful mint, cut in chiffonade
-1 handful cilantro, chopped
-juice of 1 lime
-2 tb fish sauce
-3 scallions, chopped
-a few handfuls lettuce
Place the lettuce on a plate. Toss the rest of the ingredients together and place in a mound on top of the lettuce.
Roast Duck Noodle Soup
A simple, clear broth and freshly roasted duck. Yum.
-2 packages kelp noodles
-6 cans chicken broth
-10 large cloves garlic, minced
-2 scallions, chopped
-1/2 roast duck, chopped
-2 tb fish sauce
-1 tb dark soy
-1 tb rice vinager
-1 tb rice wine
Sautee the garlic in a bit of olive oil until brown and crispy. Add the broth, noodles, and all other liquid ingredients. When noodles are very soft, ad the roast duck and the scallions and serve.
Serves 6.
-6 cans chicken broth
-10 large cloves garlic, minced
-2 scallions, chopped
-1/2 roast duck, chopped
-2 tb fish sauce
-1 tb dark soy
-1 tb rice vinager
-1 tb rice wine
Sautee the garlic in a bit of olive oil until brown and crispy. Add the broth, noodles, and all other liquid ingredients. When noodles are very soft, ad the roast duck and the scallions and serve.
Serves 6.
Lunch at New Asia Asian Cuisine, San Francisco, CA
We decided to forgo the catered in lunch at work and ventured out to the Crocker Galleria, a food court that at first seems like nice because of the glass fronts, but then you realize it is just crappy fast food in a nice exterior. We went for the crappy Chinese food, because if you are resigned to eating crappy fast food, it may as well be bad Chinese food.
Tofu with Meat Sauce $3.50
The addition of frozen peas and carrots to Chinese food is always baffling, but this was probably the best of the dishes we ordered.
BBQ Pork $5.50
Usually one of Alexis' favorites, this BBQ pork pales in comparison to anything you can get in Chinatown and was more expensive.
Shrimp with Garlic Sauce $5.50
Bland and a bit old tasting.
Hot and Sour Soup $3
Decent, but not great.
Tofu with Meat Sauce $3.50
The addition of frozen peas and carrots to Chinese food is always baffling, but this was probably the best of the dishes we ordered.
BBQ Pork $5.50
Usually one of Alexis' favorites, this BBQ pork pales in comparison to anything you can get in Chinatown and was more expensive.
Shrimp with Garlic Sauce $5.50
Bland and a bit old tasting.
Hot and Sour Soup $3
Decent, but not great.
Breakfast at Home
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Dinner at Home
Miso Chili Lime Salmon and Fresh Honeydew
A very light, late night dinner, after returning from the concert. The citrus in the marinade makes the honeydew a nice accompaniment.
Marinade for Salmon
-1/2 cup water
-2 tb miso
-juice of 1/2 lime
-1 tsp chili powder
-1 packet Splenda
Combine the above ingredients over low heat and simmer until reduced by 1/3. Put the slab of salmon on a large foil sheet on a baking sheet. Pour the marinade over the fish and seal the foil around the fish. Bake on 400 for 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
-1/2 cup water
-2 tb miso
-juice of 1/2 lime
-1 tsp chili powder
-1 packet Splenda
Combine the above ingredients over low heat and simmer until reduced by 1/3. Put the slab of salmon on a large foil sheet on a baking sheet. Pour the marinade over the fish and seal the foil around the fish. Bake on 400 for 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
Picnic at a concert, Concord, CA
We went to Rock the Bells (Wu Tang, De La Soul, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Redman, etc.), an all-day concert at the Sleep Train Pavillion in Concord, CA. Luckily, they let us bring in a picnic rather than being forced to buy expensive and unhealthy food at the consession stands.
Honeydew Melon
Havarti and Gouda
Soy-Sesame Chicken Salad
This is a perfect chicken salad if you are going to be spending all day in the sun as it does not contain mayo.
Ajvar and Goat Cheese Spread
This spread was equal parts goat cheese and ajvar (roasted red pepper and garlic spread). It was very good spread on flatbread.
Honeydew Melon
Havarti and Gouda
Soy-Sesame Chicken Salad
This is a perfect chicken salad if you are going to be spending all day in the sun as it does not contain mayo.
-1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded
-1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
-3 small tomatos, diced
-2 tb dark soy sauce
-1 tb sesame oil
-juice of 1/2 lime
-2 tb dry chinese mustard
-1 packet Splenda
-1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
-3 small tomatos, diced
-2 tb dark soy sauce
-1 tb sesame oil
-juice of 1/2 lime
-2 tb dry chinese mustard
-1 packet Splenda
Ajvar and Goat Cheese Spread
This spread was equal parts goat cheese and ajvar (roasted red pepper and garlic spread). It was very good spread on flatbread.
Breakfast at Home
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